Alternative Break

Alternative Spring Break Testimonials

For my Spring Break 2019 I chose to go with Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach to volunteer with Nechama. My team and I focused on repairing concrete roofs, debris removal, and interior repairs due to the damage from the past hurricanes. This program taught us how to use power tools and how to work as a team. Every day as a team we would push each other to give our greatest effort. Driving to the volunteer site every morning we would have no idea what the house condition would be in. One of the homes we worked on, only had a couple major cracks on the roof and only took us 2 days to work on. The owner of the house, Sol, was so kind and appreciative for us to be there. Sol did not speak any English, but it was amazing to see her smile and try so hard to make us feel welcomed. Volunteering on Sol’s house made this whole experience breathtaking. It made me feel so special to know that I am helping someone in this world and making a difference.

I am so grateful to be part of this volunteer group with Hillel. There would be moments where I wanted to quit and just stop everything I was doing but then I would remind myself this isn’t for me, this is for Sol and everyone else on beautiful Puerto Rico.

- Alexa Nicolakakos, Palm Beach State College, Puerto Rico 2019

Attending the Alternative Spring Break 2019 trip to Puerto Rico with Hillel was among the most impactful experiences I have had. I am so grateful that I was able to attend this trip. You could really see the need for us to go. The extent of our volunteer work was fixing people’s homes and filling in cracks of their roofs. It was surreal to see just how bad of shape some of these homes are in and you could really see the transformation that we had a hand in. People around the island that we would talk to said it may take ten to twenty years of work for the island to get back to where it was before the two devastating hurricanes of 2017, and even then, it never will truly be what it once was before the storms. What made the experience even more special was the people that we worked with. The owners were so grateful and it made us feel as though we really impacted someone and their way of life when we would see the smile that we were responsible of putting on their faces. Going on a trip like this and working on the homes that we did really puts our lives at home is perspective. We really can never take anything for granted and should always be happy for what we have, because there will always be people with less than you.

- Jared Stern, Florida Atlantic University, Puerto Rico 2019

The trip to Guatemala really changed my outlook on life. I'm not going to lie, the first day that we arrived, I was not excited to wake up extremely early in the morning, do hard labor, and walk everywhere. Yet when the last day came, I couldn't imagine going back to the United States. Something that really surprised me throughout this trip was the bond I created with the girls I met from FAU. I didn't expect to get so close to girls in such a short period of time but little did I know that I would for sure create friendships that would last a lifetime. This trip showed me just how fortunate I am. I have an unlimited amount of water, I have a car and a job (more than 80% of people do not have a job in Comalapa). During this trip, I also had my first Shabbat and made challah for the first time. After this trip, I definitely will be more involved in Hillel. Thank you so much to Hillel for giving me this opportunity that made me grow as an individual. Do we know where we are going next year yet?!

- Samantha Borges, Nova Southeastern University, Guatemala 2018

We woke up at daybreak to the sounds of roosters crowing and the propane vendor shouting, selling gas to power homes. After a whirlwind of morning chaos, getting dressed in our work clothes, we emerged from the house ready for a day of construction. This spring break in Guatemala challenged us in every way possible; from the language difference, to the culture difference, to the physical work that we put into every project. We had the opportunity to become engaged in a community that truly needed our help. ASB strengthened my resolve to pursue a career of helping others. Not only did we experience this totally new environment, but we also brought our own culture; baking challah with approximate measurements--helped by our host family--and having Shabbat in a rural town in Guatemala is an experience that I will never forget.

- Aya Tal-mason, Florida Atlantic University, Guatemala 2018